Bol Chumann na hÉireann’s annual convention at the Munster Arms Hotel, Bandon confirmed that a new Ladies Novice Championship will be introduced from 2027, alongside updated rules on score concessions and practice shots in Munster and All-Ireland championship scores. All officers were re-elected unopposed for the 2026 season.

On the road, Arthur McDonagh claimed a commanding win over Aidan Murphy in the Dan Riordan Cup at Bantry, while Jack O’Callaghan took novice A tournament honours in Timoleague and Darcy O’Brien impressed in the Gaeltacht Ladies U18 championship.

There were also wins for Jimmy O’Driscoll in Ballygurteen, Kenneth Murphy in Mid-Cork, Colm Crowley in the 2025 Carbery Junior A final, and Michael Cussen in the Shannonvale Novice C tournament, as youth tournaments progressed at the Phale Road.

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​Ból Chumann na hÉireann convention was the business of this past week, held in the Munster Arms Hotel, Bandon where all regions were represented. Extensive and very detailed reports from Chairman, Willie Murphy, Secretary Seamus O’Tuama, Treasurer, James O’Driscoll and Caroline O’Leary, Ladies Committee and Safety Officer. With regard to the motions, the following were passed;

(1). As and from 2027 a Ladies Novice championship will be introduced.

(2). Concession of score; (A). A player may offer to concede a score at any time. Offer of concession shall be effected by, (1) shaking the hand of their opponent and informing the referee that they have conceded or, (2) informing the referee that they have conceded. (B). The referee may refuse to allow a concession and instruct a player to play on to the finish line if deemed necessary. (C). Once the referee declares that the score has been conceded it is deemed to have been finished and that the conceding party has granted victory to their opponent. (D). The score shall not be resumed following concession. Any member who advocates for or attempts to facilitate a resumption shall be subject to disciplinary sanction by the Executive Committee. Effectively immediately.

(3). An amendment to rule 4 of the Rules of Play that it be amended to add an additional clause to cover Munster and All-Ireland championship score, which would not permit any practise shots from the start line immediately prior to the score and would prohibit the organisers from providing bowls to the participating players for the purpose of taking practise shots.

All Officers were re-elected for the 2026 season un-opposed.

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ARTHUR MCDONAGH TOO STRONG FOR AIDAN MURPHY

Arthur McDonagh had a convincing win over Aidan Murphy in the Dan Riordan Cup at Bantry. Playing for a stake of €4,200 a-side. Murphy started well in this score having a seventy meter advantage after two shots. McDonagh took his first lead with a huge third to McSweeney’s farm and followed this up with another big shot to raise one hundred meters on Murphy. Murphy’s fifth pulled right and only beat the tip by ten meters. McDonagh got a super sixth shot through Casey’s cross and Murphy missed this to go a full bowl down. Murphy recovered well with a great bowl to Cronin’s bend that McDonagh beat by fifty meters with the bowl. Facing up for the crush with his eight shot McDonagh raised the second bowl, at the crush it was just under the three bowls, things got no better for McDonagh and he won out in the end easy, to keep his chances of winning this tournament for the third consecutive time alive.

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O'CALLAGHAN TAKES THE HONOURS AT TIMOLEAGUE

Timoleague wrapped up their novice A tournament, where Jack O’Callaghan, Castletown had a trap to line win over Chris Cronin, Togher, playing for a stake of €1,120 a-side. Three shots each to the first bend where O’Callaghan led by five meters. Cronin got a massive third shot to come sight. O’Callaghan was very lucky with his fourth, it was very right and caught the dyke but rubbed off it and it was a defining point in his victory. O’Callaghan got incredible fifth and sixth shots past Barryshall Cross to raise two bowls of odds on Cronin. Cronin knocked the two bowls in two more past the monument, it was a few wayward shots from O’Callaghan that pushed this score to a last shot. Cronin made a big effort for the line but it just fell short and O’Callaghan had too much in hand and won by a big last shot.

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The Gaeltacht ladies continued with their under 18 championship at Clondrohid where 2025 under 16 county winner Orla Murphy took on the 2025 county under 18 runner-up Darcy O’Brien, O’Brien made the well in two great bowls and went full sight for Goff’s Lane in two more where she had a full bowl of odds. Two more great bowls from both ladies to the end of the wall where O’Brien held her odds of a bowl. Murphy had it under the bowl at Kelly’s Cottage. No change in two more past the Bell Inn, Murphy got a huge bowl from here that O’Brien missed by fifty meters and only beat the tip again by forty. At the Black House O’Brien, peeping sight was throwing her odds over thirty meters. O’Brien from here upped the pace and three huge bowls through Tierbeg Cross and on to the small gate raised the bowl and big odds. At the Bark Mulch, O’Brien raised a second bowl and held to the finish.

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A CLASSIC SCORE AT BALLYGURTEEN

Anyone who was in Ballygurteen on Sunday last for the quarter final score between Andrew O’Callaghan and Jimmy O’Driscoll in the Paddy Murray Cup were treated to a classic score. Playing for a stake of €1,650 a-side with O’Callaghan well fancied. O’Callaghan opened with a huge first shot but failed to go sight with his second giving O’Driscoll the lead. O’Callaghan’s fourth was very right and gave O’Driscoll the initiative. O’Driscoll raised big odds with a perfectly played fifth and he was at the women’s lane in six, ninety meters fore bowl. O’Driscoll held this odds with his seventh. O’Callaghan from here lined four perfectly executed shots but could not shake off O’Driscoll as he played a beat each one. O’Callaghan took back the lead with a huge eleventh shot past the Coffee dock, O’Driscoll was very left and missed the tip by a big margin leaving himself a huge bowl to go sight at O’Donovan’s, but he played a perfect twelfth shot that went peeing sight, a bad mistake from O’Callaghan with his twelfth gave O’Driscoll back the lead by three meters. O’Driscoll finished the stronger lining three perfect bowls over the line to win by a big last shot. In a return score Jimmy Quilligan had two scores off of Jim Coffey for €2,000 and €1,500 a-side.

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In a Mid-Cork Junior B Championship score at Ballinacurra Kenneth Murphy beat David O’Mahony by one bowl for €1,400 a-side. Murphy took the first four shots through Brinny Cross, O’Mahony took his first lead at the Church, but this was short lived as Murphy was back in front again after their next exchange to the waterworks. There was nothing between them after four more to the GAA pitch Murphy marginally ahead by twenty meters. The score changed from here when Murphy got a huge bowl to the silvery gates and O’Mahony only beat this by five meters in two. Murphy got another huge bowl to sight for the straight, O’Mahony kept it under the bowl. Murphy lined another big bowl back of the finish line and O’Mahony missed this to go a bowl down.

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CROWLEY STUNS DEMPSEY IN CARBERY FINAL

There was a surprise result in the 2025 Carbery junior a championship final played at the Marsh Road where Colm Crowley beat Darragh Dempsey by the last shot, no stake in this one. Dempsey had thirty meters after three shots, but after three more to the quarry gate Crowley took his first lead by twenty meters, two huge bowls each from here to the silvery gate Crowley held a slender lead of ten meters. Three more shots each out the steps and still nothing separated them Crowley still fore bowl. Four more good bowls past Thornhill cross and on to Ballyhilty where Dempsey was back in front by thirty meters. At the Avenue Gate Dempsey’s odds was ten meters, with only three shots to go it was anyone’s score. Crowley got a huge seventeenth shot up the rough road under the trees to Crowley’s lane that gave him a cushion of sixty meters for the last shots. However he missed the finish line but Dempsey did not give him a big shot to beat and Crowley won out an easy winner to be crowned Carbery Junior a winner for 2025.

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Shannonvale concluded another tournament, this time it was a Novice C, played between Michael Cussen, Eoin Hurley and Mark Courtney, playing for a stake of €700 a-side. After three each to McSweeney’s bungalow, Courtney had nice odds on both. They were all square in six each to the quarry bend. Cussen lagged behind from here and at Desmond’s lane he was a bowl down, with Courtney and Hurley level. Cussen from here lined three excellent shots to Kingston’s wall and it took Hurley five where he was suddenly a bowl in arrears. Courtney and Cussen were on level terms at this juncture. Things got no better for Hurley and at Hayes Cottage Cussen raised a bowl on Courtney and had two bowls on Hurley, which he held to the finish in two more.

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Ted Hegarty tournaments at the Phale Road are coming into Quarter final and semi-final stage. Ethan Hurley has booked his place in the U-16 final. Tommy Coppinger in the U-14 final, with quarter final wins in the boy’s U-10 for Timmy McDonagh, Darragh Hurley and Bobby Cooney. The underage girls are also in to quarter finals and here in the U-16 there were wins for Anna Deane and Cliona O’Brien, in the U-14 Mia Hubbard and Alison McCarthy booked their place in the semi-finals. In the girls U-12 Elsie Flynn and Iona McCarthy are through to the semi-finals and in the girl’s U-10 Farrah Healy, Annie Young and Lucy O’Callaghan are through to the semi-finals.